DebitNM

We are going to Provence in the fall for our usual house sitting gig. We are looking at heading over 2 weeks early and thinking that Lyon might be a possible location to spend those 2 weeks.

Is there enough there to keep us occupied for 2 weeks? Day trips would fill in some time; we wouldn't go to Paris, as we will go there after our house sitting. History, architecture, art, music, food, outdoors are all things we like to see/do.

We are looking at one of these 2 apartments:
http://www.vrbo.com/1184513a?unitId=1357165

Thoughts?? If 2 weeks is too long, where could we do a week after here, that might be "on the way" to The Luberon area?

Thanks~

StuDudley

Deb

We've often thought of an extended stay in either Lyon or Toulouse - like we do in Paris. We've been to Lyon twice for a "full day's" worth of activities. My wife didn't get to see as much as she would have liked to see in the fabric museum, and there are a few other spots I would have wanted to spend a little more time in. But personally, I would not want to spend more than about 3-4 nights there unless I was using Lyon as a "base" to visit Chambery, Dijon, Beaune, Annecy, & Grenoble as day-trips by train. We've already visited all these cities (several times) so at the moment, we're not expecting to spend multiple days in Lyon in the future. Cities around Lyon that we've also visited but "didn't think much of" include Valence, Roanne, Aix le Bains, Geneva, Cleremont-Ferrand, Bourg en Bresse, Lons le Saunier, and Macon. I realize that many people like Geneva - but we were not that enamored with it.

Stu Dudley

yestravel

Loved Lyon and spent 1 week there a couple winters ago. Could have stayed a day or 2 longer for sure. Two weeks might have been a stretch, but we didn't look into day trips from there so don't know. Dijon is 90 minutes by train so that's one you might consider. And then BEaune is 30 minutes by train from Dijon.
Apt you are considering looks nice. We stayed in a very old bldg in the old qrtr and loved our apt and the locale.
On the way to the Luberon, you could go through all the lovely villages in Porvence. We esp loved Bedoin, but obviously there are a ton of them.
Here's our TR
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-from-lyon.cfm

Michael

Split the time between Lyon and Arles. With a car, Arles will keep you busy for a week visiting the Camargue, the Alpilles, Nîmes, etc. You might want to take a look at my trip report from last June-July.

sandralist

Too long for what and for whom?

If you are an everyday active traveler who views a French vacation as a chance to visit a lot of places of automatic interest, there are only a handful of smallish areas and cities that are going to provide constant stimulation for 2 weeks.

If you are looking for someplace to dig and relax for a while, with some take-or-leave-it excursions within easy reach, while the main focus is minute/particular discoveries regarding food, wine, local tradition and learning more about everyday life in a small French city, and if some days you plan to stay home and cook or read or tend to your mental knitting -- why not Lyon if the apartment you like is a good perch for all that.

Judy

You could fly into Geneva and spend several days in Annecy before Lyon, then head south.